Exerciser



April 12, 1932. F. G. FoLBx-:RTH ET ALv 1,853,304

EERGISER I Filed Sept. 27, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 nuw...nu................n.".

ATTOP/VES April 12, 1932. F. G. FOLBERTH E'r AL 1,353,304

EXERC I S ER Filed sept. 27. 1929 2 sneets-sheet 2 //V VE/V 70E SFEEDER/ck s. ,raaf/ww ATTORNEYS chine in folded or inoperative position,one

Wall of the cabinet being broken away to fvide an exercising machinewhich, when in.

Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED; STATES ln'rsli'l* OFFICE FREDERICK` G.rornnnm AND' WILLIAMVM. ronnnnfrm or cLEvnLAND, onro EXERCISERApplication led September 27, 1929.V Serial No.'395,547w.

This `invention relates to exercising machines andl more particularly tothe type of exercising `machine which imparts a vibratory movement tovarious portions of the 5 ybody through a fabric belt or the like.

An object of this invention is kto provide an` exercising, machinewherein the amplitude of the vibrations may be adjusted while themachineis in motion, and wherein the adjustment may be made by the user.

Another objectvof the invention'is to ar-J range the vibratory mechanismin such a manner that each end of the belt is pulled f inwardly withmaximum rapidity and allowed to move outwardly more slowly, 1n order toobtain an improved exercising and massaging motion, irrespective of theamplitude of the'vibrations; f

Another object of the invention isto provide' an exercising machine thatis selfbracing Vand which doesk not have to be secured to the floor,table, wall or the like. Another object of the inventionis to pro- VtheVoperativefpositionhas none of the mechanical appearance that isr commonto machines of this `type.

Another object'of the invention is .to provide an exercising machinewhich 1s relatively easy to construct and easyto manu-V facture.

Still other objects of the invention and the invention itself willbecome more apparent from the following description of an embodimentreference drawings.

thereof, in which description, will be had'to the accompanying Iny thedrawings: Fig'. l is a side view of an exerclsingmashow the Fig. 2 isasimilar view'of mechanism Y opened position ready .for operation,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the vibratorymechanism; Y

Fig. 4 i thereof;

Fig. u5

s an enlarged sideelevational view is another view of the vibratoryjecting arms 9 terminating in aligned bearvthe machine in ed by aspacer- 24 similar to the spacer 19.

ymechanism showing the eect of an extreme mechanism. A platform 'is'hinged tothe bottom wall. at l and connected to the vrside walls bymeans of toggle links 6.` In its raised position `the platform isdisposed immediately behind` and Vparallel with the doors 29 and 30, and.in its lowered position rests upon the floor to serve as' afstand forthe user of the device.A Feet 7 aremounted onthe bottom of the cabinetand the outer surface of the platform 5to engage the floor.

The` vibratory mechanism, is supportedY froml the rear' wallof thecabinet by a bracket 8 having a pair lof forwardly pro-v4 ingsk 10. Ashaft 11, carrying a pulley 12, is journaled in the bearings 10.Diametrically opposed crank pins 13 project from the opposite ends ofthe shaft .11, each crank pin carrying a connecting rod or link 1A.

The exterior surfaces of the bearings l() areshouldered toprovidereduced outer end portions 15,'k which serve as bearings for a pair ofbell crank levers 16. Each of the bell crank leversis provided withtwofangularly ldisposed arms 17 .and.18. A spacing member 19 havingreduced threaded ends rigidly CIJ 'connects the arms 17. of the twolevers. A f threaded Vmember 20, pivotally carried by the spacer 19Y atone end thereof, is disposed upon 90 a threaded shaft 21. i One end ofthe shaft is mountedupon the bracket 8 by meansl of a ball joint 22, andthe opposite end is provided with ahand wheel 23 by which the shaft canbe rotated to move the member 20 therealong and correspondingly rotatethe bell crank levers 16 abouttheir bearings 15.

The outer ends of the arms 18 are connect- Thereduced ends Aof thespacer 24 are extendof the ,connectingllinkl4.moves;faster in pulledpast the arms 18 to provide bearings for links 25, the outer ends ofwhich are pivoted to the links 14 by means of connectors 26. The outerends of the connectors 26 are formed as buttons to receive the ends of aflexible applicator belt 27.

It will be evident from the foregoing descriptionthati rotation of theshaft 11.by the electric motor 2 through the medium of the drive belt 28will cause oscillation of the'links 25zaboutitheinpivots onitheispacer24. :Such oscillation will be transmitted to the flexible applicatorbelt 27 as a longitudinal vibration, the amplitude of the vibrationbeing determined by the length `ofthe horizontal Vcoin- .ponent .of thevoscillatory .movement .of .the ends ofthe links 25.-Vhen:.the'bellcrank -levers areinthe position shown. in'Figure 4,

`.the `vibrations will `be `of large :amplitude,

because in this,position thelhorizontal component .of theoscillationofthe .links'is large, as indicated'by .thefdistance a2. By .turning thehand :wheel .523 .to move .the .member 20 irearwardly, the 'bell cranklevers `Will be rotated tothe pesitionsliowninFigure 5, in which .thehorizontalcomponent ofthe vibrations,jindicatedbythe distance a1., isreduced .-'to afsmall amount. .Intermediate positions of .the bell manklevers .provide any degree otadjustmentdesired.

'It-.will'be noted that thelink 14 movesrear- Wardlyzwhenan. end ofthebelt-is being pulled inwardly, and vthat thellink 25.moves from asubstantially vertical position-to .a rearward- 4lyinclined position..It is `Well known that a .crank .and connecting frod Aproduces deviations .fromfa simple' harmonic motion, due to the langularity of .the icrank, yand that such deviationsresiilt ina .faster lmovement ofthereciprocating end .of the connecting .rod whilethe crankzmoves throughthe twox quadrants .nearest to the :reciprocating end .than when it.moves ythrough the two quadrants ffarthes't vfrom the reciprocatingend.Inaddition, when? the line ofmotion ofthe reciproi eating endofthecraiik does. notfpass through thel center .ofthe circle definedbyithe .rotation of the crank, the twodead centers arenot. diainetrically.0ppose'dand the connecting .rod

:necessarily .moves .faster when .the ,crank moves .through theshorterdistance `between dead centersthan .whenit movesthrough the longerdistance, .the speed of rotation .ofthe crank being -assumed .to be.constant .at lall times. Y

'In 'Figure 4 of .the drawings .the `connectinglinkls shown at. onedead` centeixin full lines, andat the other. in dotted lines. Thedirection .of ,rotationofthe crankis indicated bythe arrowonthepulleyl2. Itxwill'be seen thattlieangular distance fromthe. dottedlineposition to the .fiilllinefpositionis:less than the distance `from theflill flineto thedotted .line ,positiomand that consequently the fendform motion of the connecting rod produces a more rapid movement of thecrank in such a quadrant. In other words, by reason of the .angularityof the.link-25, vthe fashmotion of .the;connecting'link 14 ismultiplied,.and an extremely violent jerk isapplied to theendof'thebelt27, giving an'improved `exercising and massaging action. ItWillbe `seen that .there are .three factors contributin .to theproduction of the quiekpull on-the elt; the `disposition of theconnecting link 14 on the opposite side of the crank from the operatingportion of the belt, the odset arc .through Which-the end of theconnectingllink travels, andthe ;fact that all of the motion of thellink.25 occurs in a slow quadrant.

When itis desired to usethe exerciserthe door .is lowered Vto theposition shown in Figure 2, yand ,the toggle brace .isgpressed vdown .tolockthe doorimposition. The user then stands upon the ydoor .5,.passesvtheapplicator belt..27 about his'body, and-connects the ends ofA thebelt to the buttons 26. It will be seen thatwhen the userfleansagainstthe belta couple is created-.tendingto .rotate .the cabinet abouttheypivotal connection 4. This couple is resisted by the brace V6. Withthis arrangement all yof the thrust. against 4the 'vibratory mechanismis taken up Within .the device, making external anchors unnecessary.

Although We have described one embodiment of the invention in-detail,itis .to be .understood that the specific terminology employed is notintended tobe restrictiveand that various modiiicationscan` be madewithout departing from the scope orfspirit `of the invention asfhereinclaimed. l

We claim a1. vIn an exercising machine, an oscillatory mechanismincluding a driven shaft, a pair of supports for said shaft, avpair ofmovable bell crank levers carried 'by said supports,

a pair of cranks secured to said shaftand a pair of connecting rodsconnected to said cranks, apair of links oscillatably carried rby a pairof ends of said bell'cranklevers and the .freeends of said links beingconnected to said lconnecting' rods, the point of-junctiou -of saidlinks and rods beng adapted to vibrate a belt.

2. Inv anv exercis1ngmach1ne,'an oscillatory mechanism including adriven -shaft,.apair Vofsupports for said shaft,-.apair of movable bellcrank levers carried by said supports, a pair of cranks secured to saidshaft and al pair of connecting rods connected to said cranks, a pair oflinks oscillatably carried by a pair of ends of said bell crank leversand the free ends of said links being connected to said connecting rods,the other endsof said bell crank levers being adj ustably secured tosaid support.

3. In an exercising machine, an oscillatory mechanism including a drivenshaft, a pair of supports for said shaft, a pair of movable bell cranklevers carried by said supports, a pair of cranks secured to said shaftand a pair of connecting rods connected to said cranks,a pair of linksoscillatably carried by a pair of ends of said bell crank levers and thefree ends of said links being connected to said connecting rods,andmeans to adjustably hold the other ends of said bell crank' levers. i

4. In an exercising machine, an oscillatory mechanismy including adriven shaft, a pair of supports for said shaft, a pair of movable bellcrank levers carried by said supports, a pair of cranks secured to saidshaft and a pair of connectingrods connected to vsaid cranks, a pair oflinksoscillatably carried by a pair of ends of said bell crank leversand the free ends of said links vbeing connected to said connectingrods, the point of junction of said links and rods being adapted tovibrate a belt, and means to change the position of said links from oneplane to another.

5. Means for producing horizontal vibratory movement, ycomprising asupport, a shaft journalled in said support and having a crank on oneend, a bellcrank pivoted tosaid support and having a link pivoted to anend thereof, a connecting rod mounted on said crank and pivotallyconnected to the free end of said link, whereby rotation of said shaftproduces oscillation of said link, and means for rotating said bellcrank with respect to said support to vary the horizontal component ofthe oscillation of said link.

6. Means for producing horizontal vibratory movement, comprising asupport, a shaft journalled in said support and carryingia crank, a bellcrank rotatably mounted on a bearing co-aXial with said shaft, andhaving a linkpivoted to an end thereof, a connecting rod mounted on saidcrank and pivotally connectedto the free end of said link, wherebyrotation of said shaft produces oscillation of said link, and means forrotating said bell crank with respect to said shaft to vary the'horizontal component of the oscillation of said link. Y y

7 An exerciser including a support, means adjustably mounted upon saidsupport and carrying a pair of oscillatory links, a horizontallydisposed flexible applicator belt having its ends carried by said links,means for oscillating said links, and means for adjusting said Erstmentioned means with respect

